Opinion: Social Media and F1. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The online F1 community has grown substantially in recent years. Whether it's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Youtube, the community is continuously growing and is becoming as big and as diverse as it's ever been. But is the influence of social media on our sport good or bad? It's an interesting discussion, for sure.

Ten years ago, the F1 Twitter community, or"F1Twt" as the kids these days say, was quite a small and friendly online community. It wasn't perfect, nothing is, but it was an enjoyable place to talk about our sport, meet fans alike and, at times, easily communicate with our favourite drivers and teams. Fast forward to 2022 and it's a whole new world.

First off, a quick overview of F1's rapid growth. There are many factors out there which contribute to the sport's rapid growth in popularity in the past couple of years. From the domination era of Lewis Hamilton from 2014-2020, to Max Verstappen's rise to F1 success and not to mention the docu-series Drive to Survive which debuted on Netflix in 2019. But for me, there is one factor that stands out above the rest and that is social media.

F1's lack of social media presence and accessibility has been questioned significantly in the past. The content wasn't available to draw new fans in. Many fans pay to watch the sport but with the introduction of Drive to Survive, an F1 Youtube channel and F1 TV, things are slowly becoming more accessible. And, with teams and drivers alike creating their own social media pages, fans are getting access into the world of F1 around the clock. It never really ends. Also with F1's social media managers and content creators constantly jumping on the latest trends, it's inevitable that new people will come across this, for example, on their TikTok "For You" page and thus will be introduced to the world of Formula One. But, not only is social media giving fans access into the insights of Formula One, it's also giving fans a chance to meet like-minded people which is how the F1 Community has been formed across several social media platforms. The want for F1 content is off the charts and F1 is starting to provide just that.

Continuing on the subject of content, social media has influenced the amount of F1 blogs (such as this one), "Youtubers" and "TikTokers." F1 fans have been given a voice and a chance to share their content with the world. Whether it is a blog post, a news article or a video/reel, fans are getting creative and are showing their love for the sport that wasn't exactly possible ten years ago. What is also an interest is the amount of people, especially females, getting into the sport with ambitions of becoming social media managers, journalists, pod casters, content creators etc. And, females are specifically mentioned because social media is positively influencing the normality of woman in motorsport. The evolution of the sport over the times has been incredible.

However, the highs of social media comes with the lows and the F1 community, especially on Twitter, seems to be riddled with toxicity at times.

Social media in itself can be an unhealthy place to be. Whether it's on a computer or a smart phone, users are sat behind a screen. They can be who they want and say what they want without any regret or remorse. The F1 community is anything but immune to this behaviour with members sending hate or "slander" not just to each other but to anyone in the world of F1. Sadly this also includes drivers and team personnel. Cyber bullying is a problem and exists in the world of F1. It can be mentally and even physically harmful but unfortunately due to anonymity this problem may never be resolved and that's across the whole of social media and all the different platforms.

Then there is the issue of what is actually posted to social media. It's extremely easy for things to be taken out of context and thus rumours are born. And, like with Chinese whispers, the rumours continue to change and a completely different story is created. Plus, the rate in which things spreads via social media is extremely rapid. Maybe faster than a Formula One car, so to speak. Also, there have been instances where drivers (not naming any names) have had their older tweets brought to light. These tweets may have included slurs that are definitely frowned upon in this day and age. And, it's not just past posts. Another driver, well ex-driver (again, no names but you could probably guess who) posted a video where he treated a woman disrespectfully causing a storm on social media and rightfully so. Everything in this paragraph are instances that can end a person's career and although no on in F1 has had their careers ended by the power of social media as of yet, it wouldn't surprise me if one day they did.

In conclusion, social media has a pretty good relationship with the world of F1. You just have to look at the sport's popularity and the very dysfunctional family that is the F1 community to realise that. Not everything can be perfect and that includes social media but for now it's influence is what F1 needs in order for the sport to continue to grow into the worldwide phenomenon that it hopes to be.

"Why Can't We Go Racing?" Rain and F1; The Never Ending Debate

Just moments before lights out at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix the heavens opened creating a bustle of energy up and down the grid as teams scrambled to fit their cars with the blue striped, wet weather tyres. However, energy and adrenaline soon turned to confusion and frustration when the rain lifted momentarily and the start was delayed. Eventually this was confirmed to be because of a technical issue but it still raised the question of "why are we not racing in the rain?"

The race finally got underway behind the safety car twenty minutes after it's original start time but was soon red flagged when the weather took a another turn for the worse and the swimming pool chicane became exactly that, a swimming pool. Social media came alive and the same questions were repeatedly asked; "why are we not racing in the rain?", "what's the point in wet weather tyres?" and the crucial one, "why was little or nothing learnt after Belgium 2021?"

The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix became infamous in Formula One history after it was abandoned after three long, grueling hours of torrential rain and numerous attempts to race. This left hundreds of fans disappointed, dripping with rain in the grandstands and completely out of pocket. It was more than obvious that lessons needed to be learnt from that race. This is the pinnacle of motorsport and what happened on this day shouldn't be happening. Have we really learnt anything from Belgium?

Formula One cars are enabled to race in the rain due to numerous factors. First off F1's tyre manufacturer Pirelli supply each team with so-called wet weather tyres. The treads on these tyres are deep enough to displace enough water allowing the cars to race. Furthermore, the aerodynamics of each car are not effected by the rain. There is, however, occasions in which it is deemed too wet to race. This is usually when visibility is extremely low and the track is too slippery giving each driver a greater risk of aquaplaning. It does, in short, get too dangerous, even when sat behind the safety car as we saw in Japan 2014 when then the late Marussia driver Jules Bianchi aquaplaned off the circuit into a digger recovering another car. Since this moment, the safety of drivers when racing in the rain has become an important talking point in the world of motorsport and has led to many changes in rules and regulations throughout the year.

However, safety isn't only the reason as to why we're seeing wet races delayed or abandoned. In 2017 F1 introduced faster and wider cars which consequently created more spray thus reducing visibility during wet weather conditions. Unfortunately that was the biggest issue that was faced at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix and as the rain never eased up the race couldn't get underway.

In conclusion, as the cars evolve, their suitability to wet weather seems to be dwindling. Something needs to change. We can't decide on what the weather is going to do and F1 cannot afford many more races like the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. It's all well and good with the FIA changing the rules and regulations so that we don't have a repeat of Belgium again which is fine but is it time to make the cars more suited to wet weather again like they used to be? I think the majority of people would agree with me when I say yes.

Who Should Race for Williams in 2022?

Disclaimer: The following views are my own and not everything is fact.

The summer break is upon us and although Formula One may be quiet for a few weeks, the media is anything but. It is this point in the season where everything is about driver contracts and with a majority of F1 fans keeping an eager eye on what current Williams driver; George Russell plans to do with his career next season, I take a look at what options Williams has for 2022 if the young Brit does indeed move to a new team.

Although nothing yet seems to be set in stone, F1's worst kept secret could soon become a reality. George Russell could be making the move to Mercedes. But where would this leave Williams? It's no secret that in the past few years Williams have struggled. From 2018-2020 they scored a total of 8 miserable points and their financial woes didn't help them either with longstanding team owner Frank Williams and his daughter Claire selling the team and leaving their roles in 2020 in order to give them, the team, a more financially stable future.

But despite this, things seem to be looking up for the small team from Grove, England. At the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, team drivers George Russell and Nicholas Latifi scored the team ten valuable points, ending the long pointless drought. And, at least one of the cars has had the pace (and the driver) to consistently make appearances in Q2 and Q3 in qualifying. They may still be back-markers for now, but maybe not for long. The nine time World Constructor Champions are making a come back, slowly but surely.

And then there's the question of who should drive for the team? For starters, thanks to the improvements the team have made over the past year, a number of potential candidates for the seats have come forward and all of them could bring something to this little team. Whether it's experience, speed or race craft, I take a look at the six drivers who seem to be the front runners for a seat. I'll also be discussing why I think none of the Williams Academy Drivers will appear in next years Williams F1 Team driver lineup.

Nicholas Latifi

Let's begin with Nicholas Latifi. The 26 year old Canadian driver has been driving for Williams since 2020 and seems quite likely to keep his seat for 2022. In the 18 months he has spent racing for Williams, Latifi has scored a total of 6 points after finishing 7th at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. Before that his highest finish was 11th which he achieved at multiple races in 2020. In my opinion, it could be ideal for Williams if they were to keep Latifi. A decent second driver who has, at times, been consistent and can support his teammate while bringing some £££ to the team. As a team at the back of the field, a driver like Latifi would be attractive. But, what are Williams looking for? Experience? Speed? That's the question.

Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas debuted in Formula One in 2013, ironically with the Williams team. A heavily talked about up and coming talent; Bottas stayed with Williams until the end of 2016 before moving up to the front of the field with Mercedes, whom he still races for to this day. However, things are not looking too good for Bottas at Mercedes. With his constant struggles during the race weekends and with current Williams driver George Russell waiting in the wings; Bottas' time at Mercedes seems to be drawing to a close. So what's next for the Finn? A move back to Williams seems do-able but should it be? Personally, I am conflicted. Bottas has the speed and the expertise to help the team regain what it once was. Despite the changes in management, he knows this team, he also knows a top team. He could be exactly what they are looking for. However, at the same time he has had his chance. He'll never be a World Champion. Maybe it could be time to move on?

Pierre Gasly

And then we come to Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman's career has been that of a rollercoaster. Joining what was then Toro Rosso back in 2017, Pierre has made himself known in the world of Formula One. Most notably, he is known for his infamous demotion from the Red Bull team back to Toro Rosso in 2019. But, that didn't stop him from going on to win the 2020 Italian Grand Prix with Alpha Tauri, Toro Rosso's new name. And now, after numerous years with the Red Bull outfit, Gasly's seem to have emerged as a contender for the potential Williams seat in 2022. However, this is one move that I don't see happening. Gasly is a talent that Red Bull seem convinced they will be able to hold on to. In my opinion, Gasly needs to get out of the Red Bull family if he is to have any success. But a move to Williams won't help him. Not yet anyway. Of course he has the experience to help the team but when will they be fighting for points, podiums or wins again? It could be next year with the regulation changes or it could be ten years time. Gasly doesn't have the time to take that risk. Staying at Alpha Tauri seems the most likely option for the Frenchman next year.

Daniil Kvyat

Russian driver Daniil Kvyat was once expected to do great things in Formula One after winning the GP3 championship in 2013. However, it was not meant to be. Eerily similar to Gasly above; Kvyat was also infamously demoted back to Toro Rosso from the Red Bull Racing Team although despite a third place in Germany 2019, Kvyat's luck had ran out and now the Russian finds himself without a seat for this 2021 season. So why now does he find himself as a contender for the Williams seat? A driver in Kvyat's position would do anything for one of the 20 seats available and if that meant he'd be racing at the back of the grid, then so be it. He wants to be out there, racing in the pinnacle of motorsport. Personally, I think Williams will be an ideal place for him. He knows Formula One and he's a proven winner. As long as he keeps himself out of trouble, he can save his career with this move. I'm definitely watching this space.

Nico Hulkenberg

Another driver left "seat-less" for this year is Nico Hulkenberg. After a shock exit from the sport at the end of 2019, when the German was left without a seat, fans around the globe have wandered how someone with immense talent could be left out like that. But now he is reportedly eyeing a return with the Williams outfit and I, for one, can't blame him. He is, in a way, in the same situation as Kvyat. However, Hulkenberg may come across as a more attractive option to the team with his cleaner race craft and higher experience level. But, as a current reserve and development driver for Aston Martin, will they be willing to let him go? Only time will tell.

Nyck de Vries

Now, this is an interesting one as Dutch racer Nyck de Vries has NEVER raced in Formula One. In fact, at the time of writing, de Vries has been the 2021 Formula E World Champion for less than 24 hours. And, with his Formula E team reportedly leaving the sport for next season, could Nyck be making his way to Formula One? It's possible. Nyck is a Mercedes driver and Williams runs Mercedes engines. The Mercedes Formula One team will be looking to keep a Mercedes backed driver at Williams for the foreseeable future. So this move seems highly likely. However, I'm not fond of it. Nyck has found his feet in Formula E and Formula E is no feeder series. Personally, I'd like to see him stay there and defend his title, but again comes the question of "what team?" I'm worried Formula One might knock his career but as it's the pinnacle of motorsport, I'm sure he is vying for that seat. Out of all the drivers mentioned above, Nyck seems to be in first place.

So, there we have it. The few drivers that seem to be in high contention for the Williams seats. But what about the Williams Driver Academy? They back drivers for a reason, to make their paths to Formula One more simple and more cost effective. But, if their not getting the desired results they won't get the desired outcome. Simple. Right now, all of Williams drivers in the academy are just average. We may see them make their debuts someday but not in the near future.

As for the drivers above, I think we could possibly be seeing a Nicholas Latifi and Nyck de Vries line up at the team for next season. I suppose it seems the most logical to have their current driver and also a Mercedes driver in the team. If I had the choice, I'd be looking at a Daniil Kvyat and Nico Hulkenberg line up. I don't know if it's because I feel sorry for them for not having a seat or if I generally miss watching them race. Either way, they could be good mixture to have with experience and race craft. But for now, we sit and wait in anticipation.